


MFEO (Made For Each Other)

by fredric_modlic



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-09 21:05:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12896808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fredric_modlic/pseuds/fredric_modlic
Summary: This started out as a fic prompted by Taylor Swift’s ‘Mary’s Song’ and evolved into so much more than that.Childhood friends who were always destined to be together. It just took them like longer to realize it than everyone else.——She knew the story to every freckle and every scar. And yet sometimes she was still an enigma, and a complete surprise.But as the fog cleared it became apparent; suddenly it was like she had known all along.Of course...





	1. I was seven and you were nine

The air was heavy and warm as Carmilla followed her seven year old neighbor through the waist high grass and down to the creek. Laura's hair lit up like a halo, late afternoon sun catching the tips and shining it all around. It was picture perfect except for the younger girl's panic.

"C'mon Carm, hurry!" The alarm in her voice rising the nearer they got.

Carmilla picked up pace, the grass whipping at her bare forearms whilst the empty shoebox jostled in her rucksack. 

Little bare feet came sliding to a stop and Laura fell to her knees at the base of the river willow, "help, Carmilla!" She squealed as Carmilla's sneakers pulled up just by her. 

There on the grass was a baby bird, looking fearfully upwards at the two young girls hanging over it. 

Carmilla rested her hands on her knees as she looked it over. "Oh poor little one, it's wing is broken baby girl." She settled a hand on Laura's back.

"No!" she cried and Carmilla's heart broke. "We can fix it! we can fix it, right?" 

Laura's little fingers lurched forward to wrap around the bird. Carmilla dropped to her knees and grabbed the girl’s hands in her own and brought them to her lap. Laura's baleful eyes found hers and Carmilla shook her head lightly, "just wait, Creampuff".

“Mom says we have to be real gentle with baby animals, to give them the best chance" she smoothed her thumbs over Laura's knuckles before letting go to unfasten her rucksack. The smaller girl sniffled, but nodded in understanding. 

She dropped the shoebox to the ground and ripped open the lid. 

She pulled out the towel and replaced it with a handful of mud, grass and twigs. 

"Okay," Carmilla took a deep breath and held it, gently using her mommas best kitchen towel to pick up the baby bird and place it in the shoebox. It didn't make a noise, just snuggled down into the bird sized blanket and dirt and watched, cautiously. 

Carmilla glanced up and saw Laura standing shin deep in water examining large handfuls of mud in both hands. 

"Worms," she exclaimed triumphantly and washed three off placing them in the box too. 

"You did a good job there, baby girl," Carmilla pointed at the cut by Laura's left knee.

Laura looked at the trickle of blood traveling down her shin, "oops".

She didn't flinch. She was fearless. 

Grass stains on her shorts and shins, mud up her forearms and the smallest lopsided smile on her face.

"Always so brave, Miss Hollis," Carmilla bent forward to take a better look, and Laura stuck her leg out shimmying around on one foot and grappling for Carmilla's shoulder. 

“I didn't bring anything to save you too, baby girl. I'm sorry.”

"That's ok, you're here for him," she pointed toward the shoebox, "You're still my hero."

"I try, baby girl." 

*****

_One of Sherman Hollis’ favorite stories was when they put Laura in Carmilla's arms at just three days old. So the fable goes, and they’re told it often, Carmilla gazed at Laura for a full three minutes before finding Sherman’s face again, a ginormous grin on her face and exclaimed "baby girl" just as Sherman had been doing all morning. And that was that. There was no going back. They were inseparable, and with two years on Laura, Carmilla was the self appointed protector of her precious baby girl._

_Laura was always her dads baby girl. Ever since she was born. That was all Carmilla ever knew. That was all Carmilla used to call her._

*****

Laura couldn't remember what happened to the baby bird. They took it home to Carmilla’s mother and in the end it didn't matter. Carmilla's arm around her shoulder, and a hopeful, "we did our best, baby girl-,” that was all that mattered. 

And when her dad came to collect her later that afternoon, all she could remember was being warm under a blanket on Carmilla’s mom’s couch. Tucked in together, side by side, she pretended to sleep on. Maybe he would carry her to her own bed next door. 

"Covered in dirt again, I see." She could make out the smile that was surely on her dad’s face.

"Mhmm; went on a rescue mission today. Saved a baby bird’s life." 

"Well if that ain't Laura, all over. And of course, Carmilla was her partner in crime?" 

"Absolutely." 

Quiet footsteps got closer, and Laura screwed her eyes shut tighter. 

"Honestly, these two." 

"I know," there was laughter in her whisper.

"Made for each other" 

"I know." 

Laura could hear their soft smile’s again, and felt Carmilla’s fingers tighten ever so slightly around hers.


	2. Suddenly I wasn’t that little girl you used to see

When Carmilla reached junior high, Laura noticed that her own name changed. Carmilla called her the same name her teachers did, strangers did and just general people she didn't care about; Laura.

"It's not cool, that's all. You'll understand when you get to Jackson Junior."

Laura hiked her school pack again, its weight against her tiny frame causing it to sag. "But we're already cool, aren't we? I mean, we don't have to change, right?" 

Carmilla smiled at Laura's unconscious lower lip jutting out. She reached over, touched her jaw for a moment and then settled a hand on her shoulder, "you're right. You and me, little one, we’re cool." 

Laura smiled and Carmilla felt a knot twist in her stomach as she thought of the incident of last week. She'd watched a senior cross the squad and sneak up on a girl, lace his arms around her waist, and into her ear smile, "hey, baby girl." She had grinned in return, turning in his arms to kiss him. Which was, quite frankly in Carmilla's opinion, kinda over the top. And a little bit gross. 

But in the moments where that snippet of time repeated over in her impressionable minds eye, Laura's face always sprang to the fore. And her bright smile.

*****

The girl's forced schooling separation was trying. Laura made Carmilla pinky promise that every Sunday, no matter what, they would spend from sun up to sun down together. 

"I miss seeing you every day," Laura's voice rumbled through Carmilla. Her head lay on Carmilla’s belly, and they were both sprawled out on the riverbank, under the favored willow of their very young lives.

Carmilla ploughed a soft hand through Laura's long hair before she threw it behind her own head again. The warm air and rustling of tall grass filled her with just enough courage, "I miss it too, baby girl." 

Laura smiled as a wave of relief fell over her. And beneath her, she felt Carmilla’s breath hitch.

"I love you, Carm."

Carmilla's eyes shot open, and she felt a wave of panic and excitement scream through her. The branches of the willow waved overhead, the soft whisper they gave permitted her to do only one thing; she reached down, grabbed Laura's hand, entwined their fingers tight, and brought Laura's knuckles to her lips. 

*****

That same year, Laura got " _the talk_ ". Or at least a very Sherman Hollis version of it.

"Dad, we learned about this stuff already," Laura scrunched her eyes shut praying for the moment to retreat swiftly. 

"They don't teach what I have to say, kiddo. Your old man knows a thing or two. And just because they don't teach it in school, doesn't mean it's not important."

He grabbed Laura firmly by the shoulders, till both her eyes were open, "because you're important."

Laura's perpetually knitting eyebrows took off in waves of confusion. 

"Schools tell you about what's _normal_ ," Sherman used airquotes in a dramatic dad fashion, "what schools don't tell you is that normal isn't a real thing. And not being a real thing, it's not something you can strive for. And it doesn't make not-normal wrong. Do you understand what I'm saying?" 

"No," her voice was soft and intrigued. 

He rubbed his hands together, nerves getting to him, "what you don't work out till much later in life is that normal is just a way of terming traits that are common in a higher percentage of people. You know? Most people are right handed, that's common. People are _normally_ right handed. That doesn't make left-handed people abnormal."

"Well I guess we used to persecute them..."

Sherman held up a finger, "and then we worked out that was wrong. Because left handed people are not mistakes, and they are not to blame, and being different is what makes them special." 

"Dad, I'm afraid to ask what this has to do with sex-e..... oh. Oh, right."

Sherman shrugged his shoulders and breathed a sigh of relief, "yeah. So, Laura, don't let anyone ever tell you what you should be, not even me. And don't let anyone pressure you into something you don't want to do." 

He got up and paced a few steps. "And I know I'm not particularly good with words, I leave that to my loquacious 11 year old. But for you, my girl, I would do anything. If you want me to speak in whole sentences... I can do that too. If at any time you want to me to do research," awkward line of approach Sherman, "I can help, is what I mean - you just gotta talk to me." 

Laura put both hands on her cheeks, and felt them flushing. She nodded, okay.

"Okay, dad," she smoothed her jean covered legs, as tears sprang to her eyes. "Okay. Soon, okay?" 

Sherman threw his arms around her and soothed her, "whenever you want, baby girl." 

At that, Laura buried her face in her dad’s shoulder and cried a little harder for a lot longer. 

She didn't even know what it was she wanted to say. So she didn't say anything, not for a long time. 

*****

By the time Laura hit Jackson Junior, Carmilla had learned to accept the twist in her belly and the shooting shards of ice that flashed through her chest and down her arms at the thought of Laura.

And she paid no mind to the utter joy that filled Laura's eyes each time they saw each other. Like right now, the first time they spotted each other in the school hall. It was followed quickly by a trademark goofy grin. She bounded towards Carmilla like an exuberant puppy, and pulled up just short of jumping on her. 

"Hey!" 

Carmilla laughed despite herself, "weirdo".

"Yeah well, don't care - open up," she threw her arms wide and waited with an expectant smile on her face. 

She didn't care, and it didn't matter, but Carmilla felt her heart smash against her rib cage as she instinctively opened her arms and a tiny flurry of hair rushed in and snuggled under her chin. 

Out of compulsion, her eyes slipped shut. 

And the hammering in her chest started to feel like comfort, like home. Like an answer to a question she didn't know she'd been asking.

"I joined the debate club," Laura sighed happily.

"Short stuff! You've been here five minutes," though incredulous, Carmilla couldn't quite loosen her grip just yet. 

"Priorities, Carmilla!" It was a totally adult conversation. That just happened to be taking place around excruciatingly, and exquisitely tight hugs. "Feel blessed, you're the first thing on the list after that. So don't feel like you're being forgotten."

Carmilla breathed into her hair, "ah - so I'm meant to feel ok about playing second fiddle to your social justice warrior lifestyle?" She tickled her ribs and Laura squirmed and squealed. 

"You wouldn't have me any other way." 

"No, you're right; I wouldn't." 

"GAAAAY," Laura opened her eyes just enough to see a boy, cupping his hands around his dirty mouth shouting in their direction. 

Carmilla struggled to hold on to her hammering heart and on to Laura, who tried to go after him.

She settled on yelling, "fuck off," at his retreating back. 

He and his gaggle of friends laughed and "ooooh"-d back. 

Laura noticed the frame she was holding onto was shaking with laughter too. 

"What?" Her eyes as they caught Carmilla's sly grin were fiery. 

Carmilla chuckled louder, "Miss Hollis!! Your mouth!! What will your father think when I tell him one day into middle school your swearing like a sailor just come into port." 

Laura softened at the mirth and affection in Carmilla’s eyes, "hush you." 

She pulled away and shuffled her backpack around, "c'mon, walk me to class; I don't know where the social sciences block is." 

"Don't lie, I know you studied the school map last night." She threw an arm around Laura's shoulder to spin her around, all the same, "it's this way." 

They walked together, both doing their darndest to bury the fear of revelation they'd just experienced.


	3. All I need is you next to me

In her final year of high school, Carmilla got her drivers license. 

"Carmilla, I cannot get in that thing. Have you met my father? He will literally kill me." 

Carmilla shifted one of her crossed arms, patted the flaking paint of her brand new pile of rust, "don't listen to her, old girl, her dad is gonna love you." She threw her voice back to Laura, "I already checked with your dad, short stuff, just get in the truck." 

Laura rolled her eyes dramatically, and started ticking off her fingers, "a - I'm now barely an inch shorter than you. B - that's not the way you proposition a girl," Carmilla blushed deep red, "and c - I doubt very much daddy approved of me getting in _that_ thing." 

Carmilla shrugged, "well I'm going on a drive and unless you wan to miss out on this Sunday's Nitwit adventure, and spend today without me," she smirked, "I suggest you get in." She jangled the keys in front of her, and Laura softened as she spied a Hufflepuff crest hanging on the keychain. It was for her and she knew it. 

"Ugh fine, just get us out of here quick, before dad gets up and sees. He will honestly ban me from seeing you ever again." 

Carmilla unlocked the passenger door, held it open and held out a hand for Laura to get into the car. "I’d like to see him try; you still live next door." 

Laura placed her hand in Carmilla’s, and slid into the car seat, "don't pretend Carmilla; 17 years and he still scares you, I can feel your fearful quivers".

"Hush you." 

Getting into the drivers side, Carmilla turned the key and the old truck just about decided it was happy to start. "Where to, baby girl?”

“The creek.” Laura clicked her seatbelt into place and built her resolve.

“Oooh - somewhere new and adventurous.”

“Can it, mistress of snark - just show me what you can do with these newly acquired qualifications and drive.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

*****

The birds were still greeting the rising sun as the girls lay in the bed of the truck. 

Carmilla’s foot dangled lazily over the side of the truck. Her head rested on Laura’s tummy. 

For the umpteenth time her pillow went rigid for a moment before puffing out. 

“Creampuff, I can feel your anxiety from here. That’s not what Sunday’s are for; would you tell me what’s up?”

Another wave of taught belly flutters. 

“Dad gave me the talk.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah — about 2 years ago.” 

“Oh well this is quite the retrospective then,” she drolled, “Was it that scarring?” 

“Sort of. He said some stuff,” Laura bit the inside of her cheek,”True stuff.”

Carmilla snorted, “Well I sure hope he wasn’t telling you anything about storks, otherwise our day today is going to get real awkward.”

“Carm, would you shut it.” Laura sat up and ran a worried hand through her hair. 

Carmilla propped herself up on her elbows and regarded Laura. “Cupcake, what is it?”

Hazel eyes locked onto Carmilla’s dark brown ones and she watched them fill with tears and complete terror. 

She rolled onto her knees and cupped Laura’s face in her hands,”baby girl?”

Laura started to cry in earnest. And Carmilla’s heart lurched into her mouth.

“Cupcake whatever it is, it’s ok. That shitty boy in class, Timmy, could’ve given you an STI,and I’ll still love you. We can work it out together.” 

Laura laughed despite herself, “Tommy. And no, he did not give me an STI, nor did anyone else. It’s nothing like that at all. It’s just - I gotta tell you something.” 

Laura placed one of her hands over Carmilla’s where it cradled her cheek, warm and steeling resolve. “Dad, talked to me about normal stuff,” Carmilla nodded in vague understanding, “...and that it’s ok to be _not_ normal.” Carmilla cocked her head to the side, then her eyes widened in understanding.

She breathed out a soft, “oh.” And every vague repressed feeling from the last seven years flashed through her memory. 

The soft hazel eyes that found her now were filled with anguish. “Carm, I’m scared.” Her voice broke and Carmilla’s heart crumbled alongside it.

“You’re never scared, baby girl, and you don’t need to be now,” she shook her head gently and smoothed a thumb across Laura’s tear ridden cheekbone. It would likely have been more comforting if her voice didn’t break mid-sentence. 

“No you don’t understand,” her hands were shaking with her voice. “I can’t lose you.”

Carmilla’s trademark crooked smile made its way across her lips, “Cupcake, I’m not going anywhere, so it’s going to be very hard to lose me.”

“Dammit, Carm,” she shook her head emphatically, “why are you like this? You, you are the reason - I - sometimes I wanna blame it on - it’s not ok - all snark and...” 

She closed her eyes, and shook her hands out. Carmilla could barely see the deep lungfuls of air Laura was sucking in. 

Carmilla was starting to think Laura might lose consciousness. Or maybe that was her projecting. The ringing and high velocity thrum of blood in her ears was surely audible to Laura now. 

The sun was still low in the sky, catching the heads of the tall grass. Tiny stems of light strewn across the creek shoreline. 

And it caught the tips of Laura’s hair, shining it all around. It looked like a halo, and Laura - an angel. It was beautiful, except for the panic growing in Carmilla’s chest. 

“You won’t lose me,” Carmilla found herself repeating her words, but unsure where or how they were making their way out of her mouth. 

Laura opened her tear filled eyes and it took all Carmilla possessed to not spring forward and envelope her in a hug. 

The corner of Laura’s mouth quivered, and a nervous quirk of a smile appeared, “I love you.” 

It was so soft, yet it was like a bomb went off and all sound voided itself. Carmilla’s eyes went foggy and she could just make out that Laura was still talking. 

“Like ache-in-my-belly, can’t-sleep-at-night,” her hands starting gesticulating wildly, “want-to-kiss-you-every-time-I-see-you love you.” 

“M-me?” Carmilla stuttered and she saw that boy kissing that girl in the school yard, calling her baby girl. And she felt every sharp twist of her belly whenever any boy ever showed any interest in Laura; all at once. Oh God, she was going to throw up. 

“And I couldn’t keep it in anymore because it felt like lying, but please, please tell me we’re going to be ok. I just needed to take the power out of it, by saying it out loud. Or something. So we’re going to be ok. We’ll be ok right?” 

“Me?” 

Was she broken? Carmilla was sure she knew how to speak, how to walk, how to stand up straight. 

“Carm, please say something,” Laura’s hands started wringing together. 

If white noise was a physical, tangible thing that one could get tangled in, Carmilla was drowning. 

She couldn’t hear, could barely see, could hardly breathe; she couldn’t feel the solid bed of the truck beneath her feet.

The first sense to return her was a warm burn in her fingertips, and when she looked down she was prying apart Laura’s shaking hands, delicately, almost reverently. The pieces of herself, scattered by the emotional blast a few seconds ago, were coming back together. More clearly than before.More clearly than ever.

Carmilla found herself inspecting the freckles that were scattered around Laura’s wrists, as though they were new to her. They weren’t of course; she had watched Laura’s skin, blemish free and covered in dirt at age five transform into the tanned, freckled, glowing woman in front of her today. She knew the story to every freckle and every scar. And yet sometimes she was still an enigma, and a complete surprise. 

But as the fog cleared it became apparent; suddenly it was like she had known all along.

Of course. 

“Carm?” There was a shy, nervous smile playing at Laura’s lips; Carmilla didn’t have to look up to see it. Not when she could hear it. And she felt a smile grace her own mouth. 

Carmilla’s eyes danced a path up Laura’s sun tanned arms, over her flannel shirt collar and to a pair of glowing hazel eyes, piercing her with confused expectation. 

“What’s going on?” Laura’s voice was shaking. Her fingertips, still resting on Carmilla’s upturned palms, were doing the same. 

“I have no idea,” Carmilla slid warm hands northward till they came to rest, cradling Laura’s cheeks. She touched their foreheads and shook her head slightly. “But if I pass out, you better catch me.” 

Comprehension filled Laura’s mind, only for it to be wiped completely clear a second later, as two soft warm lips pressed against hers.

_Oh God_

Her breath hitched and she utterly froze, her hands suspended mid air by Carmilla’s side as she floundered. Maybe she was dead. Maybe she was dreaming.

And as Carmilla stepped closer and one hand slipped to the nape of her neck, an electric shock ran through her spine. Her hands sprang to action, one grappled at the back of Carmilla’s t-shirt and the other grabbed a sturdy shoulder; her trembling frame seeking support. 

A hand was weaving strands of fire through her hair and lips were held softly against hers. Ever so patient and understanding. Laura was coming apart at the seams and had no idea how to keep it in. Her lips started quaking and her hands too, renewed tears streaming down her face.

The salt water on Carmilla’s lips broke the sudden revelatory surge of confidence. 

Their lips parted softly and Carmilla’s breath hitched, in pain this time at the anguish on Laura’s face. Her eyes shut in desperation, with tears pooling under her eyes. 

Blindly grabbing at Carmilla’s elbows, her voice broken in agony, “No. No. Please don’t stop. Please just stay, hold me; something.” 

“Cupcake,” Carmilla brushed the tears away with her palms as best she could, and gathering Laura’s face, looked in her eyes, waiting till they opened. “It’s ok. I promise. I’m not going anywhere.” 

Carmilla kissed her once more. But this time Laura kissed her back, fervently.

And the rest of the day passed with little else. 

Happy tears, ardent kisses, quiet reassurances.

Flirty banter, making fun of one another and using the other as pillows. 

Everything had changed and nothing at all.


End file.
